(NSFW?)Is gardnerella vaginitis a sexually transmitted disease? Does a man give this to a woman?

Gardnerella vaginalis is the most common cause of bacterial vaginitis in the sexually active mature patient. The patient complains of a malodorous, nonirritating discharge, and examinations reveal homogenous, gray-white secretions.

It is assumed that the infection is sexually transmitted, hence it is present in the sexually active woman. I don’t think there are any documented cases of a virgin with it, so we can probably conclude that it is sexually transmitted.

(Many sources).

I don’t think this necessarily means that a woman who has it also has an unfaithful partner.

@Jeruba Well, ... he can get it from NOT having sex? But she can only get it from having sex?

@Jeruba and @cazzie Correct. It doesn’t mean the partner was unfaithful – it just means that it appears only with sexually active women. It could always have been there – dormant, or simply, undetected.

Gardnerella can be found in 20–40% of healthy women, and as such, really doesn’t mean infidelity. It’s numbers can increase in the vaginal tract for several reasons, and then manifest as BV. So, an otherwise healthy woman can have a change in her vaginal flora resulting in an increase in Gardnerella. BV can also be caused by other things, so it isn’t necessarily an STD.

^ What the Doc says.

What her doctor told her is that it’s usually just part of the make up of everything that lives ‘up there’ and that certain things upset the balance, including having ‘infrequent’ sex. The doctor specifically told her it wasn’t an STD and she wouldn’t need to alert any sex partners.

Her doctor also told her that having MORE sex would help… ???

I hope she’s regained her natural healthy glow by now.

Woot, I got one right!!!

@shilolo wrote healthy woman can have a change in her vaginal flora resulting in an increase in Gardnerella. BV can also be caused by other things, so it isn’t necessarily an STD.

What causes the increase of Gardnerella? What other things? Her diet? She said that she’s gotten it a few times, but it only seems to happen after she has sex. Once, two years ago, and again just recently. Her doctor told her that perhaps if she had MORE sex it may balance out the problem. But my gosh… she’s not promiscuous, and now she’s worried that if she ever has a ‘regular partner’ that she’ll be suffering with this constantly.

Having more sex with the same partner would probably help, because the body chemistries would become familiar and normal.